A recent survey conducted by J L Partners has surveyed 500 individuals involved in the UK AI ecosystem, including developers and investors, to assess the importance of copyright and AI regulation in alignment with the Government’s goals for innovation and economic growth. This poll highlights the potential need for the UK to adopt existing protections for text and data mining present in regions such as the EU, Japan, and the United States.
From the survey, 99% of participants confirmed that AI developments rely heavily on publicly-available data through text and data mining, with 58% stating they are "very reliant." Further findings reveal that 94% of participants are either very or somewhat dependent on models built using these techniques, with 54% indicating "very reliant."
The data also suggests a potential impact on the UK's competitive edge in AI investments if equivalent protections are not introduced. 76% of respondents believe failing to adopt such measures would be a significant indicator, prompting the sector to reassess the UK as a competitive investment environment. Additionally, 64% of respondents see the absence of such protections as potentially undermining the Government's larger commitments to AI.
Regarding transparency requirements, 83% of those surveyed forecast delays in the deployment of AI services or features if developers are mandated to disclose data sources and their role in AI model training. Within this, 36% foresee delays affecting "many" services and features.
The survey further posits that should protections be adopted globally but not within the UK, 66% of AI projects might relocate internationally, with 25% of respondents predicting that "many" projects would need to follow this path.
Matthew Sinclair, Senior Director at CCIA and head of CCIA’s London office, commented on the findings: "With the right regulatory choices, there are exciting opportunities for the UK as companies work creatively to develop and deploy innovative new AI services. Britain has huge strengths in this sector, and modernising our copyright rules to match the flexibility and clarity provided by our peers in Europe, Japan and the United States can unlock investment and growth. It is vital that the Government rejects amendments from the Lords which would frustrate the work Ministers and officials are doing to update copyright rules and enable AI development here in Britain."